Making of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
The 'Making of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy i's a BBC television documentary made in 1992, released on BBC Video VHS in about 1993. The documentary takes place within a loose tongue-in-cheek framework of Arthur Dent coming home to Earth. It revisits The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy TV series over ten years later, including interviews with the cast members, Douglas Adams and the crew behind the show, as well as outtakes and other behind-the-scenes footage. Summary The documentary features Simon Jones reprising his role as Arthur Dent going back to his house and looking up the television show on his Guide. The Guide then shows interviews with those involved in the show, behind-the-scenes footage, and information on the casting processes for the series. The documentary also explains the methods behind the creation of the graphics of the Guide and the building methods for the sets used. At one point, Arthur pulls a Babel fish from his ear, and an animated version of the Babel fish appears, put into a fishbowl, and then proceeds to introduce the segment on the graphics behind the Guide in the show. At another point, a hologram of Simon Jones is projected onto the seat across from Arthur, which greatly confuses him. While Arthur Dent is in his room reading from the Guide, someone breaks into his house. Near the end of the documentary, it is revealed to be a Vogon, who comes into the bedroom and gets Arthur in a headlock, reminiscent of what happened to him in the second episode of the TV show. The Vogon then turns into Ford Prefect, played by David Dixon (who played him in the series) who was in disguise all along. Ford leaves the house with Arthur, who is explaining how he thinks he has been part of a television show all along, played by a man called Simon Jones. Ford then tells him he has just been trapped in a simulation, which they are about to exit, and offers Arthur a marshmallow before walking down the lane, Arthur coming behind him as the world around them slowly disappears into nothing. Trivia * Several of the items in the framework of the documentary (mail piled up behind the door, Arthur putting his Babel fish into a fishbowl, etc) are borrowed from similar events in the fourth book, ''So Long, and Thanks for All The Fish''. * This documentary is featured as part of the Extras section on the DVD release of the TV series. * Some of the footage of Douglas Adams being interviewed that is in this documentary was also included in the More than 30 Years in the TARDIS ''documentary about ''Doctor Who, which Adams also worked on. * The opening sequence, which shows a spaceship approaching Earth, includes a quick glimpse of the TARDIS from Doctor Who (1963). External links * Making of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy on IMDB * Making of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy documentary on YouTube Category:TV Series